Mechanically-refrigerated cabinet



Junev 5, 1928.

J. R. REPLOGLE MEGHANICALLY REFRIGERATED CABINET 'nulli ATTORNEY.

MECHANICALLY REFRI GERATED CABINET Fileqfeg. 5. 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 zgze y M, @QQ Q63@ @Cp-Qi@ @g5-Q@ 14 QQQQ @Q Q'@ @QQQZ/@QQQ QQQ@ @QQ QQ@UQ@ A TTORNE Y.

l-atente'd June5, l UNITED STATES JOHN R. REPLOGLE, 0F DETROIT,MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRIC REFRIGERATION CORPORATION, OF DETROIT,MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MEcnANrcaLLY-nmnrenmrnn CABINET.

Application nlcd February 5, 1927. Serial N'o. 166,051.

This invention relates to mechanically refrigerated cabinets of the typein which different ranges of temperature are malntained\`in a pluralityof food storage compartments.

An Vnbject of this invention is to provide a mechanically refrigeratedcabinet for the storage of food and the like in which the circulationof. a heat absorbing iiuid contacting with a cooling unit and foodcontainers in a plurality of compartments is controlled to res ectivelyregulate the temperature rmaintained inl the4 different compartments.

Another object of this invention is to provide a refrigerated cabinet,of the multi le compartment type having a heat absorbing Huidcirculating through the compartments' and in contact with a coolingunit, with externally extendin manually operated mechanism for controling the flow of the heat absorbin fluid through the .compartments toregu ate the temperature .maintained therein. I.

These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent as thedescri tion progresses, in which like characters esignate like parts inthe accompanying drawings'illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical elongated section throu h a cabinetillustrating a shutter valve mecanism for controlling the circulation ofa heat` absorbing Huid through the cabinet compartments.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the shutter valve mechanism in endelevation.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4of Fig. 2.

Fig.. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view p f the shutter valvemechanism for control- 1n uid through the cabinet compartments.

The cabinet illustrated in the drawings ,with which my invention isasgciated A1s ada ted for storage of ice crea bottled liqu ds and thelike, and comprisesfthe end walls 10, side walls 11 and the bottom wall12. 4These walls are preferabl built up of wood panels lined withcorkgoard insulation and are covered externally with a metal cover toprovide the exterior shell of the the circulation of the heat absorbingcabinet. The inner faces of these walls are lined with metal panels 13of copper or similar non-corrosive material, thus formin a largeinternal chamber. Supported wit in this chamber is an enclosed tankstructure 14 which is rigidl held in place by the top wall 15 of the cainet. One or more open top food storage sleeves or receptacles 16 arearranged to extend into the tank 14 and register with o enings in thetop wall 15, these openings eing closed bythe covers or lids 17 so thatwhen the lids are removed access may be had to the interior of the foodstorage rece tacles. A heat absorbing uid, preferably rine, is containedwithin the tank 14, which is usually termed the brine tank, andsurrounds the sleeves 16. l

At intermediate points of the tank 14 there are provided partition wallswhich -divide the tank intocompartments A, B and C. The partition wallsare each comprised of a .stationary perforated plate 21, ,theerforations 22 therein-being referably e ongated slots. Theoutervertical edges of the stationary plates 21 are turned. inwardly, asat 23, to provide a channel 24, and then return bent and iiangedlaterally yas at 25, the iianges 25 being riveted or otherwise securedto the side walls 14" of the tank 14.

Guided within the rooves or channels 24 at both sides of the p ates 2lare movable perforated plates 25, the perforations 26 in the plates 25*being arrangedto register with the perforations 22 in one position topermit the heat absorbing iuid or brine to circulate throu h thepartition walls. Figs. 1.A and 2 show t ese perforations inregistratlon, while Figs. 4 and 5 show the perforations out ofregistration and in a position to shut off -communication between thelfood containing compartments and the evaporator compartment A.

The movable plates 25 are arranged to be manually operated from a pointexternally of the cabinet. Secured to the upper edge of each vof thelates 25a is an extension 27 provided witi external threadsl on theuiper end. A nut 28 is screwed on to the t readed portion of each of theextensions 27 and as these nuts are screwed down the plates 25 arelifted, and as the nuts are backed u on the threads the lates 25 arepermitted) to fall by gravity. he relation etween the plates `21 and 25is such that los as the plates 25 reach their lowermost position theerforations in the associated plates are in fu l registration with eachother, and as the plates 25'L are raised the openings through the walls-20 are made smaller. With this construction it will be seen how the sizeof the openings through the wall 20 can be varied as desired to controlthe i. quantity of brine flowing therethrough.

p openings through the An evaporator D, provided with the depending pipeloops 28, is rigidly supported within the compartment A, and is incircuit with a conventional type of mechanical refrigeration mechanism(not shown), the evaporator being supported by means of the upperbracket 29 and the lower bracket 30. In the operation of a mechanicallyrefrigerated cabinet the evaporator, or cooling unit, absorbs heat fromthe brine, or other suitable heat absorbing fluid contained with- 1n thecompartment A, and when the perforations in the plates 21 and 25 are inregistration With eachother the cooled brine is permitted to freelycirculate in the brine tank. This circulation of the brine is controlledby the manually operated mechanism above described, which varies thesize of the artition wall 20 to control the flow of the rine. As theopenings are made smaller in the partition walls,

theflow of the brine is restricted and the heat units in compartments Band C are partially held back, thei evaporator in this case absorbing alesser amount of heat units from compartments B and C. The purpose ofthis control mechanism is to regulate the temperature within thecompartments B and C by controlling the circulation of the brine; thegreater the circulation the colder the compartment, and the temperatureof either food compartment rises in direct proportion as the circulationis progressively shut olf by varying the size of the openings in thepartition walls. From the above description of the mechanism and itsoperation it willbe seen how the temperatures in the compartments B andC can be regulated as desired.

rIhe temperature in compartment A remains practically constant, thistemperature being controlled, however, by mechanism set to produce thedesired result, whereas the temperature in com artment B and C can bevaried at will, it eing regulated by the shutter type ofcontrolmechanism above described. The design of the cabinet is such that thetemperature in compartment A is maintained lower than the temperature incompartments Band C which can be varied as required for difcrent kindsof food stored therem.v v

Various chariges can be made in the mech-A anism for controlling thecirculation of the brine inthe tank without departing from the spirit ofmy invention and the scope of what I claim.

What I claim is:

l. In a mechanically refrigerated cabinet, a closed tank containin aheat absorbing fluid and provided wit heat conducting partition dividingthe tank into a plurality of compartments, said partition provided withperforations therethrough for permitting the heat absorbing fluid tocirculate from one compartment to the other, one or more separate'foodstorage receptacles extending into one of said compartments and thefluid therein, a mechanically refrigerated heat transfer elementextending into another of said compartments and the fluid therein, Yandmeans for controlling the quantit of fluid permitted to flow through theper orations in said partion from one compartment to the other toregulate the temperature within the compartment containing said foodstorage receptacles.

2. In a mechanically refrigerated cabinet, a closed tank containing a.heat absorbing fluid and provided with a partition dividing the tankinto a plurality of compartments, said partition comprising twoperforated plates,one being adjustable with respect to the other, one ormore food storage receptacles extendin into one of said compartments andthe uid therein, a mechanically refrigerated heat transfer elementextending into another of said compartments and the fluid therein, andmeans manuall operable from the exterior of the cabinet or adjustingsaid adjustable perforated plate for controllin the quant-ity of fluidpermitted to flow t rough said perforations from one compartment to theother to regulate the temperature in the compartment containing saidfood storage receptacles.

3. In a mechanically refrigerated cabinet, a closed tank containing aheat absorbing fluid, partitions dividing said tank into.a plurahty ofadjacent compartments, said partitions bein formed to permit circulationof the flui therethrough and including a movable portion for regulatingthe flow of the heat absorbin fluid therethrough, and a mechanicall rerigerated heat transfer element exten ing into one of thecompartx'nents.

4. In a mechanicall refrigerated cabinet, a closed tank adapte to reivea heat ab,- sorbing fluid, partitions formed of a plurality of aperturedplates dividing said tank into a plurality of adjacent compartments, oneof the plates of each partition being movable to regulate the flow ofthe heat absorbing fluid between adjacent compart ments and amechanically refrigerated heat transfer element extending into one ofthe said tank into a plurality of ad'oining oompartments, one of theplates o each partition being movable in a vertical direction forcontrollino' the circula-tion of the heat absorbing fluid betweenadjacent compartments, and a mechanically refrigerated heat transferelement extending into one of the compartments.

6. In a mechanically refrigerated cabinet, a closed tank containing aheat absorbing fluid, erforated heat conducting partitions in said3 tankforming compartments, a mechanically refrigerated heat transfer elementextending into one of the compartments, and adjustable means forregulating the How of the heat absorbing fluid from said compartmentcontaining the heat transfer element to the other compartments, theregulation of said means permitting regulation of the temperature of thecompartments adjacent said heat transfer element.A

7 In a mechanically refrigerated cabinet, a closed tank adapted toreceive a heat absorbing uid, metallic plates forming partitionsrdividing said tank into a plurality of adjacent compartments, saidplates having apertures therethrough, one of said plates being movablefor controllin the circulation of the heat absorbing fluid tgrough thecompartments by alignment of the apertures, and a mechanicallrefrigerated heat transfer element exten ing into one of thecompartments.

8. In a mechanicall refrigerated cabinet, a closed tank adapte toreceive a heat absorbi'nvr fluid, metallic plates forming partitionsividing said tank into a plurality of transversely-arrangedcompartments, said plates having apertures therethrough, one of saidplates being movable for controlling the circulation of the heatabsorbing fluid through the aperture in said partitions, and amechanically refrigerated heat transfer element extending into thecentral` compartment. v

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature.

JOHN R. REPLOGLE.

